Method for driving a plasma display to enhance brightness

Abstract

A method for driving a plasma display having a plurality of cathodes and anodes arranged in a matrix structure and a plurality of discharge cells formed at intersecting portions of the cathodes and anodes. Each cathode is addressed and subsequently a sustaining pulse for a predetermined time during a sustaining period is applied to each cathode so that the sustaining period is increased. The method maintains a discharge-sustaining time by adding a predetermined sustaining pulse during a writing phase after addressing all cathodes, thereby enhancing the brightness of the discharge cell.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for driving a plasma display having a plurality of cathodes and anodes arranged in a matrix structure, and a plurality of discharge cells formed at intersecting portions of the cathodes and the anodes, comprising the steps: addressing each of the cathodes sequentially from a first cathode to an n th  cathode in an addressing period, said n th  cathode being the last cathode addressed;   applying a first sustaining pulse to a plurality of the cathodes in only a sustaining phase of a first sustaining period, said first sustaining period following the addressing period; and   applying a sustaining pulse to all cathodes in both a writing phase and a sustaining phase of a second sustaining period, said second sustaining period beginning after completion of addressing the n th  cathode and ending at the beginning of an erasing period of the first cathode.   
     
     
       2. A method for driving a plasma display having a plurality of cathodes and anodes arranged in a matrix structure, and a plurality of discharge cells formed on intersecting portions of the cathodes and the anodes, comprising the steps of: addressing each of the cathodes during an addressing period, said addressing period comprising alternate writing and sustaining phases, wherein a writing pulse is applied to not more than one cathode in each of the writing phases; and   sustaining each of the cathodes during a sustaining period, said sustaining period following the addressing period, and comprising alternate writing and sustaining phases, wherein a sustaining pulse is applied to each of the cathodes in each of the writing and sustaining phases of the sustaining period.   
     
     
       3. The method for driving a plasma display of claim 2 further comprising the step of initiating an erasing period following the sustaining period. 
     
     
       4. The method for driving a plasma display of claim 2 further comprising the step of applying a sustaining pulse to a plurality of the cathodes in a plurality of the sustaining phases before the sustaining period. 
     
     
       5. A method for driving a plasma display having a plurality of cathodes and anodes arranged in a matrix structure, and a plurality of discharge cells formed on intersecting portions of the cathodes and the anodes, comprising the steps of: addressing each of the cathodes sequentially from a first cathode to an n th  cathode, the addressing time for each of the cathodes comprising a writing phase and a sustaining phase;   applying a writing pulse to each of the cathodes in the writing phase of its respective addressing time;   applying a sustaining pulse to each of the cathodes in the sustaining phase of each of the addressing times following its respective addressing time; and   applying a plurality of sustaining pulses to each of the cathodes for a predetermined time following the addressing time of the n th  cathode, said plurality of sustaining pulses having a duty cycle greater than 50 percent.   
     
     
       6. The method for driving a plasma display of claim 5 wherein a period defined by two of said plurality of sustaining pulses is approximately equal to the addressing time of one of the cathodes. 
     
     
       7. The method for driving a plasma display of claim 5 further comprising the steps of erasing each of cathodes sequentially from the first cathode to the n th  cathode beginning at the end of the predetermined time. 
     
     
       8. The method for driving a plasma display of claim 2 further comprising the step of applying a sustaining pulse to a plurality of cathodes during one of the sustaining phases after the writing pulse is applied to each of said plurality of electrodes and before the writing pulse is applied to all of the electrodes. 
     
     
       9. A method for driving a plasma display having a plurality of cathodes and anodes arranged in a matrix structure, and a plurality of discharge cells formed at intersecting portions of the cathodes and the anodes, comprising the steps: addressing each of the cathodes sequentially from a first cathode to an n th  cathode in a writing phase of an addressing period;   applying a sustaining pulse to a plurality of the cathodes in a sustaining phase of a first sustaining period after said plurality of electrodes have been addressed and before the addressing period for the n th  cathode; and   applying a sustaining pulse to each cathode in both a writing phase and a sustaining phase of a second sustaining period, said sustaining period beginning after completion of the addressing period of the n th  cathode and ending at initiation of an erasing period of the first cathode.